Red Rabbit

Title: Red Rabbit

Author: Tom Clancy

Pages: 13 discs?

Genre: Fiction, Thriller

Grade: B

Synopsis: This book takes place early in Jack Ryan's career.  At the time, he isn't yet an analyst for the CIA, but he has been offered a position as a freelance analyst in London to work as sort of a liaison between the CIA and the British Intelligence Agency.  The main plot of the story surrounds a Soviet KGB communications officer that learns of a top-secret plan to assassinate newly elected Polish Pope John Paul II.  The Russian defector (or "red rabbit") approaches a known CIA officer asking for help getting safely to the west in exchange for information about the assassination plot.

My Review: This was a fairly typical Clancy cold war spy thriller.  The plot was unique and full of the twists and turns that you would expect.

The Hunt for Red October

Title: The Hunt for Red October

Author: Tom Clancy

Pages: 480

Genre: Thriller

Grade: B+

Synopsis: The Red October is a brand-new Soviet submarine with a new quiet propulsion system. The captain of the Red October has hatched a plan with his officers to defect to the United States, with the new submarine. When the Soviets realize what their captain is planning on doing, they send every available submarine, battleship and anything else that floats to try and track her. The Americans, including Jack Ryan, see the whole Soviet navy racing to their shore and are trying to piece together their intelligence on the matter to find out whether or not they are under attack.

My Review: I read this book back in high school, but I didn't remember a lick of it. It's a fast-paced thriller with lots of twists and turns and eye-opening to the life of a submariner. The premise is realistic (at least it was during the cold war) and the submarine chases and battles are intense and dramatic.